What began as a Middle-Eastern faith thousands of years ago has become Westernized and modernized. Our own cultural norms, values, and philosophies have shaped the way we understand and apply the Bible. But if we want to understand what the Scriptures really mean, we have to gain a sense of the cultural, historical, spiritual, and linguistic perspective of the people who originally received them. If we want authenticity in our faith, we must read the Bible in context—not just the textual context of each individual verse, but the context of the entire Bible in its culture and time.

HaYesod will help you lay this foundational background, enabling you to understand the Bible the way it was originally given.

2. Grounding modern believers in the faith of Abraham.

Was it Jesus' purpose on earth to invent a new and different religion? The gospel was not God's way of hitting the "reset button" and starting over. Rather, Jesus came in fulfillment of ancient prophecies and promises given to Israel dating back thousands of years. The covenants that God made with Abraham hold fast today; and when you see how God's promises have held true through Jesus and his Jewish people, your faith will be strengthened like never before.

God called Abraham to depart radically from the culture that surrounded him and to embark upon a new journey of faith. When Abraham took God at his word, God blessed him and made him a "father of many nations." Do you consider yourself a child of Abraham? Are you ready to follow in his footsteps?

HaYesod will help you see the amazing story of God intervening in human history over the centuries and instill in you the same kind of faith that Abraham had.

3. Awakening a renewed passion for God.

When people first turn to God in faith, there is a sense of excitement and passion that comes with their newfound revelation. But over time, that passion can fade. How can it be re-kindled?

Part of that passion comes from seeing God's amazing and grand plan for humanity and how you fit into it. But as the reality of mundane life sets in, that vision is sometimes lost. New vitality will return to your spiritual walk when you begin to see your connection with the land, the people, and the Scriptures of Israel in a new way. Your sense of awe and discovery will return as the Bible begins to make more sense than ever.

HaYesod reconnects you to your roots, which will restore life-giving nourishment, vitality, and passion to your spiritual walk.

4. Deepening the spiritual maturity of believers with the foundation of the Scriptures.

Scripture instructs us to move on toward maturity in our faith. But in this generation, spiritual maturity seems to be lacking. How can we regain it?

One thing we can do is broaden our spiritual perspective. By knowing how God has worked throughout history, we can better understand him and what he expects from us today. Spiritual development and growth will occur as we ground ourselves in the entire breadth of the Scriptures—not just a small portion of it.

HaYesod will propel your spiritual walk into new depths by helping you gain a sense of the big picture and reinforcing the foundation upon which your faith is built.

5. Making disciples from a Messianic Jewish perspective.

In the Great Commission, Jesus instructed us to "make disciples of all nations." But in the ancient Jewish world, a disciple was not merely a convert or a practitioner of a certain religion, nor was discipleship a new concept invented by Jesus. In those days, disciples were spiritual apprentices, who learned by imitating their instructor's actions and committing his teachings and words to memory. We are all to be disciples of Jesus; let's make our lives a reflection of him.

HaYesod is centered and focused on Jesus the Messiah. Our goal is to become better disciples of him and to help others do the same. But to really understand him and what it means to follow him, we must see him in his proper Jewish context.

Student Testimony

I am learning a lot and I have been on quite a journey since I asked God to teach me as only He could teach and I wanted to know His ancient ways. I felt that I needed to get to know who Jesus (newly learned that His name is Yeshua) was back then, in order to get to know Him now. Between El Shaddai Ministries and yourselves, I feel like God is dotting all of the I's, crossing all of the T's, and connecting all of the dots. Things that I am reading in the Torah, are actually making me cry; things I probably would have never given a second thought to. I have a copy of the Tanach, and I am actually reading every word, including all of the commentary at the bottom! Thanks for teaching this class! I really hope to go to Jerusalem some day. Thanks for all you do!

— Lisa Stensgard

HaYesod

Want to Preview the Program?

Before you decide to purchase the program, you can complete the entire Lesson 1 of HaYesod: The Foundation, and HaYesod: The Sabbath free! Includes download of Lesson 1 from the HaYesod Workbooks.